There are a number of situations where radiation dose information is preferably measured remotely. For example, in the treatment of cancers and other diseases where exposure to radiation is used to kill malignant or otherwise used to treat various types of diseased tissue, it is currently impossible for the radiologists to known precisely how much radiation is being administered to the tissue being treated. The radiologist typically sets the desired radiation level on the radiation generating equipment and then treats the tissues in a localized manner for a specified period of time. The approach achieves acceptable results in many cases but has been found to vary significantly in the amount of applied radiation dose. Accordingly, there remains a strong need for in vivo radiation dosimetry equipment which can provide accurate and reliable information as to the radiation dose actually received in the tissue being treated.
There are also many industrial applications where radiation dosage or levels are preferably measured for various reasons. In and around nuclear power plants there are portions of equipment and facilities where radiation levels are sufficiently high that minimal or no exposure of personnel is allowable without protective gear. In other applications radiation levels are so high that no personnel exposure is acceptable under any condition. In many of such applications it is desirable to have measurements of radiation levels on a routine basis.
High levels of radiation are also typically derogatory to radiation measuring equipment and are often of such significance that the radiation measuring equipment cannot function accurately or reliably in the environment where radiation levels are to be measured. Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improved radiation dose measuring systems capable of remotely measuring the dosages or levels of radiation present. Such radiation measurement systems also are preferably provided with relatively small replaceable sensor assemblies which are of minimum effect on the systems being monitored.